US salmonella spate linked to tuna

A number of people in the US have had to consult medical experts after falling ill due to salmonella

A salmonella outbreak has left 116 people ill across 20 states of the US, with the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) naming yellowfin tuna as the source.

Moon Marine USA Corporation of Cupertino, California, will voluntarily recall almost 59,000 pounds of a frozen yellowfin tuna product that is used to make raw fish dishes such as sushi and sashimi, the FDA announced.

The product, which is known as Nakaochi Scrape AA or AAA and is 'backmeat' scraped from the bones to give the appearance of a ground texture, is not sold directly to consumers but is supplied to restaurants and food retailers around the country.

Of the 116 people affected, 12 have been hospitalised and no-one has died, although this kind of incident perhaps reaffirms the importance of holidaymakers taking out appropriate
medical travel insurance to cover all possible eventualities.

The FDA stated: "Consumers who think they might have become ill from eating possibly contaminated raw Nakaochi Scrape should consult their healthcare providers. Many of the people who became ill reported eating raw tuna in sushi as 'spicy tuna'."